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He reads the title. "You doing some research?”
"Not much else to read around here."
Kane shrugs, folding strong arms across his chest. "Ain't that what phones are for these days?"
I note the way his short sleeves pull taut on rounded biceps, his black leather cut against black cotton seeming to add depth to his already menacing appearance. He has his father's strong jawline, yet I guess he gets the pouty lips from his mother. The eyes, though, that's all Tyke. "I don't like phones all that much."Or social media.I shrug off his suggestion and thumb toward the office. "Did you want to go look at it now?"
A snort rips free. "Fuck no." He jerks his head toward the door behind me. "Why ain't you outside with my sister?"
Theregulars mostly congregate in the yard, an enormous charcoal barbecue working overtime to grill enough steaks to feed the lot of them twice over. According to Sweetie, the leftovers get turned into pot pies for the men to eat throughout the week. Maddie did her best to get me to join in, yet after one drink, overwhelm set in. Twenty different conversations all going on at once, music pumping from speakers, the odd rev of an engine as the younger members do tricks in the yard... one minute longer, and she would have found me rocking in the corner, hands over my ears.
"I didn't feel right joining in," I confess. "This isn't my scene."
"But you'll gladly use it to your advantage, right?” Kane glances to the side, jaw tense.
"I didn't mean it like that. I?—“
He shuts me up with a swiftly raised hand. "I don't care how you meant it. The way you've been behavin' since you got here says all I need to know."
I'm dumbstruck, mouth slack as I frown at this entitled piece of work. "Excuse me?"
"What do we owe you, anyway?" He jerks his chin toward the others. "You do somethin’ for my sister I don't know about?"
"No. I..." I what? He's struck to the very heart of why my muscles itch to walk the fuck out of here. I haven't done a damn thing to earn this treatment. I've got nothing to offer these people in return. "I never asked for any of this," I say truthfully. I pushed against Maddie's insistence. I knew getting her family involved would be a debt I could never repay.
"You didn't ask for it, but you sure don't mind getting’ what you're given."
Fuck this asshole."What do you want me to say, Kane?" I rise to my feet, chest nearly brushing against his. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to say thank you." He smirks. "And I want you to get on your knees to do it."
This fucking piece of work…“No."
“Pardon?” The tilt of his head, the hitch of his lips. His amusement is pure menace.
"I said no." My legs shake, stomach a tight knot that makes my chest ache. "I don't get on my knees for anyone."
"Except my dad if he asked you to, right?" He lays the question against my ear, a sinister whisper so sickly sweet I choke.
"Kane!"I spin at Maddie's holler, relief palpable as she strides toward us from the partially open door."What the fuck?"
"Dad asked me to help your little friend, sis." He takes a half step forward as he answers her over my head.
It's either crowd into his chest or allow him to force me to my ass on the sofa. I choose discomfort over defeat.
"You didn't look very helpful." Mads swings her hips around the end of the sofa. "Was he helping?" She directs the question my way.
I rest a hand on the arm of the furniture, helping keep me upright while I slip free of his confinement. "We were making progress."
"Exactly." His arm snakes around my shoulders, ripping me back toward him with a ferocity that has me slam against his ribs. "We're fast friends, aren't we, Rae?"
I blink slowly, wet my lips, and exhale heavily out my nose. Focusing on the action does nothing to calm my budding rage.
"Unhand her," Maddie instructs her brother.
He tightens his grip. "Why?"
"She doesn't like it."
